Encroachers to be booked under NSA: UP DGP on Mathura violence

MATHURA: The members of a sect who had encroached on government land at Jawahar Bag area here and indulged in violent clashes with police will be booked under the stringent National Security Act, Uttar Pradesh DGP Javed Ahmad today said.

A total of 24 people, including an SP and an SHO, were killed in clashes between police and members of the sect who had encroached on government land here yesterday. Tension prevailed in the area with police seizing a large cache of ammunition from the site and arresting 320 people.

"Among the 24 killed, two policemen were shot dead and 11 were burnt to death due to cylinder blasts. The encroachers had set on fire the huts where bombs, explosives and gas cylinders were stored, before retreating from the site," Ahmed said.

"After the blast, few encroachers were hurt and finally succumbed to their injuries. Since people of neighbouring area were fed up with the activities of the encroachers, they were severely beaten by the residents of the area when they were retreating," he said.

The UP DGP said efforts were on to arrest the absconding encroachers.

He said the identity and other important data about the encroachers can be determined from their registration certificates.

"While 124 people have been arrested for the clashes under relevant sections of IPC, 80 men and 116 women were booked under CrPC section 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognisable offences)," he said.

The DGP said 47 countrymade pistols, 6 rifles, 178 live cartridges, 15 four wheelers and 6 two-wheelers were recovered from the site of the clashes.

Ahmad said the police party had gone to the site on a recee but the encroachers, who were climbing on the trees, started indiscriminate firing, brickbatting and lathicharging on the police party.

"The encroachers have been dispossessed from Jawahar Bag," he said.

Principal Secretary Home Debashish Panda, special secretary Mani Shankar, ADG Law and order Daljeet Chaudhary and SSP Mathura Rakesh Singh were also present in the press conference.